Sieve-cleaner.



J. A. SMILLIE.

SIEVE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1911.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. SMILLIE, 0F HAMILTON, NORTH. DAKOTA.

STEVE-CLEANER.

' ning mills, and has for its object to provide a simple device in theform of an attachment adapted to be applied to the sieve and which ismounted for reciprocation longitudinally of the sieve in the samedirection in which the sieve reciprocates, but in unison with the same.

The cleaner is in the form of a grill and is so located below the sievethat as the sieve reverses its movement the cleaner is continuing itsmovement, whereby its parts pass transveresly under the meshes of thesieve and force objects out of the same which may have become lodgedtherein. These objects are usually wild oats, dirt, sticks, etc.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of a fan frame with a sieveattached thereto and the cleaner applied to the sieve; Fig. 2 is asectional view of the same; Fig. 3 is an under plan view of the sieveand cleaner; and Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the sieveandcleaner cut on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawingsby the same reference characters.

As indicated in the accompanying drawings, 1 represents a shoe which ismounted for reciprocation upon the frame of a fanning mill in any usualor appropriate manner. The shoe in plan is rectangular and is providedwith a central opening the upper and lower edges of which are providedwith ledges 2 which extend transversely across the shoe but terminateshort at their ends or on one side thereof. A bead 3 is attached to theinner surface of that side of the shoe 1 which is spaced from the endsof the ledges 2.

The sieve to which the cleaner is to be applied may be of any desiredpattern, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

Application filed May 27, 1911. Serial No. 629,819.

that shown consists of an open frame 4 rectangular in shape and providedin the vicinity of one edge portion and upon its upper side with a bead5 which is adapted to bear against the side of the shoe 1 devoid of abead.- The opening in the frame 4 is divided longitudinally by a bar 6into two openings of greater length than breadth and which have theirlong dimensions in alinement with the direction in which the shoe 1reciprocates.

Transversely disposed shafts 7 are journaled at their inner ends in thebar 6 approximately midway between the ends thereof and at their outerends the said shafts 7 are journaled in bearings 8 which are held insecured positions at the side edges of the frame 4 and upon the undersurface of the same by means of securing devices 9. Bearing rollers 10are mounted upon the intermediate portions of the shafts 7 and are heldin adjusted positions thereon by means of 'set screws 11. Bearings 12are fixed to the under side of the frame 4 at the upper portion thereof,and bearings 13 somewhat longer than the bearings 12 are fixed to theunder side of the frame 4 at the lower portion thereof. The bearings 13are held in fixed positions by means of securing devices 14, but byloosening these devices the said bearings 13 may be swung upon thedevices as pivots for av purpose which will be hereinafter explained.

The opening or openings in the frame 4 are covered by a sieve 15 in theusual manner. Grills 16 are supported by the bearings 12 and 13 forsliding movement longitudinally with relation to the frame 4. Thesegrills consist of longitudinally disposed supporting rods 17 which havetheir end portions slidably received in the bearings 12 and 13. Theintermediate portions of the rods 17 are arched up toward the under sideof the sieve 15 as at 18. Cross rods 19 are mounted upon the supportingrod-s 17 and are spaced a slight distance from the lower surface of thesieve 15. Springs 20, of peculiar configuration, are attached to theunder side ofthe frame 4 below the bearings 13 and have end portionswhich extend transversely across the openings through the said bearingsbut spaced from the same and which are adapted to be engaged by thelower ends of the rods 17 at times. These springs are formed from singlestrips of metal having intermediate portions 21 which lie flat againstthe under surface of the frame 4 and which are held by securing devices22. The end portions of the said springs are twisted at right angles tothe intermediate portions 21, as at 23, and these are the port-ions thatextend transversely across the openings provided in the bearings 13. Theintermediate portions of the supporting rods 17 bear upon theperipheries of the rollers 10 mounted upon the shafts 7.

When it is desired to remove a grill 16 from the frame 1, the securingdevice 9 of that bearing 8 under the grill intended to be removed isloosened and the said bearing is swung on the said securing device sothat it releases its shaft 7 and the said shaft 7 together with itsrollers 10 are removed from the bar 6. The securing devices 14 of thebearings 13 are then loosened and the said bearings are swung so thatthey release the lower ends of the supporting rods 1.7. Then the upperends of the said rods are slipped longitudinally out of the bearings 12.To place a grill in position upon the frame at the operation just abovedescribed is reversed. The grills are of the same shape and arrangementat their opposite ends and consequently they may be taken out andreversed in their positions in the frame should the upper surfaces ofthe cross rods become worn more at one side than at the other.

When the grills are in position and the frame is in the shoe 1 and theshoe is reciprocated, as is usual in fanning mills, the grills 16 willbe carried by the shoe as the shoe moves in one direction, but when theshoe changes its direction of movement the said grills will have atendency to remain inert and consequently the upper sides of the crossrods 19 will wipe under the sieve l5 and any bodies sticking in the meshthereof and projecting down below the same will be pushed up anddislodged, thus giving the same a chance to roll down the sieve andmaking it possible to keep the mesh of the sieve clear.

The shoe and frame 1 are held in inclined position in the frame of thefan, as is usual, and consequently when the shoe is moved in a downwarddirection the grills 16 are carried down, but when the shoe begins tomove in an upward direction the lower ends of the supportlng rods 17come in contact with the end portions 23 of the springs 20 which at thistime serve as buffers to check the downward movement of the grills, butwhen the shoe begins to move downward from an upward direction thetension in the end portions 23 of the springs 20 comes into play and hasa tendency to continue the upward movement of the grills during theinitial downward movement of the shoe. Therefore the rods 19 are againwiped across the mesh of the sieve and any lodged particles aredislodged therefrom as above described. During the reciprocation of thegrills 16 with relation to the frame 4: as above indicated the rods 17pass along the rollers 10 and thus the grills are supported withoutundue friction in the bearings 12 and 13 and the intermediate cross rods19 are held in pro-per relation to the under surface of the sieve 15.

The arched portions 18 of the rods 17 are of such length that the grills16 may reciprocate between the upper and lower side pieces of the frame4 and the end portions 23 of the springs 20 prevent the lower ends ofthe said arched portions 18 of the rods 17 from striking the inner edgeof the lower piece of the frame 4: and mutilating the same.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Incombination wit-h a sieve, bearings located at the under side thereof,longitudinally disposed rods having their end portions slidably receivedin saidbearings and provided with intermediate arched portions, crossrods carried by the first mentioned rods and located under the sieve,and a shaft extending transversely of the grill and having rollers uponwhich the arched portions of the first mentioned rods bear.

2. In combination with a sieve, bearings located on the under sidethereof, longitudinally disposed rods slidably mounted in the bearings,cross rods carried by the first mentioned rods, and a spring mountedupon the under side of the sieve and having free end portions located inthe paths of movement of the first mentioned rods.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. SMILLIE.

Witnesses:

H. E. KELLAR, F. A. ARGUE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington. D. G.

